Dana Ewell
Encyclopedia
Dana Ewell is a convicted triple murderer who was sentenced to three life sentences for ordering the killing of his mother, father, and sister in 1992.
assault rifle
with a homemade silencer
was used by Ewell's roommate at Santa Clara University, Joel Radovcich, to murder the family on Easter
Sunday in their home in the Central Valley as they returned from a long weekend on the coast. Ewell was sentenced on May 12, 1998, alongside friend and classmate Joel Radovcich, who was promised a part of the family fortune
in return for executing Dana's family. Ernest Jack Ponce (who procured the murder weapon) was also charged with the murders, but he obtained a dismissal in exchange for his testimony and was later licensed as an attorney. At the time of the murders, Dana Ewell still lived at home in the family's comfortable Sunnyside
-area home near Fresno.
In his freshman year in high school
, Dana Ewell stated that his goal was to be a multi-millionaire by the age of 25; but, at 21, he was still being supported by his parents. The murders took place on Sunday, April 19, 1992.
The case was investigated by Fresno County Sheriff's Office Homicide Detectives John Souza and Chris Curtice. Fresno County Assistant District Attorneys James Oppliger and Jeffrey Hammerschmidt prosecuted Ewell and Radovcich in a jury trial that took more than eight months. Both Ewell and Radovcich are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, and all of their appeals have been denied. Dana Ewell resides in the Protective Housing Unit of California State Prison, Corcoran
, with Charles Manson
, Juan Corona
, and other murderers who require "extraordinary protection" from other inmates.
The Ewell murders have been featured on American Justice, Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice, Forensic Files, Discovery Channel's "Solved" and Behind Mansion Walls.
of Dominick Dunne
's investigative show Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
. Also two series of the truTV network aired episodes on the case; Forensic Files episode 282 titled "Two in a Million" and American Justice episode 170 titled "Millions Of Reasons To Kill".
The case was briefly covered in "E! Investigates: Rich Kids Who Kill." New Detectives "Family Plots"
Murder case
Ewell's father, businessman and multi-millionaire Dale Ewell, his mother Glee (née Mitchell), and his older sister Tiffany were murdered so that he could access the family fortune. A 9-mmMillimetre
The millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length....
assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
with a homemade silencer
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
was used by Ewell's roommate at Santa Clara University, Joel Radovcich, to murder the family on Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
Sunday in their home in the Central Valley as they returned from a long weekend on the coast. Ewell was sentenced on May 12, 1998, alongside friend and classmate Joel Radovcich, who was promised a part of the family fortune
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
in return for executing Dana's family. Ernest Jack Ponce (who procured the murder weapon) was also charged with the murders, but he obtained a dismissal in exchange for his testimony and was later licensed as an attorney. At the time of the murders, Dana Ewell still lived at home in the family's comfortable Sunnyside
Sunnyside, Fresno County, California
Sunnyside is a census-designated place in Fresno County, California. It is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad north-northeast of Malaga, at an elevation of 328 feet . At the 2010 census, Sunnyside's population was 4,235.The Maltermoro post office operated from 1894 to 1913. The name honored...
-area home near Fresno.
In his freshman year in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Dana Ewell stated that his goal was to be a multi-millionaire by the age of 25; but, at 21, he was still being supported by his parents. The murders took place on Sunday, April 19, 1992.
The case was investigated by Fresno County Sheriff's Office Homicide Detectives John Souza and Chris Curtice. Fresno County Assistant District Attorneys James Oppliger and Jeffrey Hammerschmidt prosecuted Ewell and Radovcich in a jury trial that took more than eight months. Both Ewell and Radovcich are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, and all of their appeals have been denied. Dana Ewell resides in the Protective Housing Unit of California State Prison, Corcoran
California State Prison, Corcoran
California State Prison, Corcoran is a male-only state prison located in the city of Corcoran, in Kings County, California. Also known as Corcoran State Prison, CSP-C, CSP-COR, CSP-Corcoran, and Corcoran I, it should not be confused with the newer California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and...
, with Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
, Juan Corona
Juan Corona
Juan Vallejo Corona is a Mexican-born serial killer in the United States.He was convicted of the 1971 murders of 25 itinerant laborers; men who had been found buried in shallow graves in the orchards of fruit ranches in Sutter County, California, along the Feather River north of Yuba City, where...
, and other murderers who require "extraordinary protection" from other inmates.
The Ewell murders have been featured on American Justice, Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice, Forensic Files, Discovery Channel's "Solved" and Behind Mansion Walls.
Media
The case was covered in a one-hour showTelevision program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
of Dominick Dunne
Dominick Dunne
Dominick John Dunne was an American writer and investigative journalist, whose subjects frequently hinged on the ways in which high society interacts with the judicial system...
's investigative show Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice
Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice was an American crime TV series that examined real-life cases of crime, passion, and greed involving privileged or famous people. The episodes were shown on truTV and on Star TV in Canada as well as Zone Reality in Europe and Bio. in Australia. The...
. Also two series of the truTV network aired episodes on the case; Forensic Files episode 282 titled "Two in a Million" and American Justice episode 170 titled "Millions Of Reasons To Kill".
The case was briefly covered in "E! Investigates: Rich Kids Who Kill." New Detectives "Family Plots"